Thursday's letters: Cold-blooded resistance

Thursday

Dec 13, 2012 at 12:01 AM

S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley’s unrelenting animus toward Washington literally threatens human lives. In her intention to reject the Affordable Care Act’s option to cover hundreds of thousands of additional S.C. recipients through Medicaid expansion, Haley may have just sentenced some of those desperately needing the coverage to death.

S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley’s unrelenting animus toward Washington literally threatens human lives. In her intention to reject the Affordable Care Act’s option to cover hundreds of thousands of additional S.C. recipients through Medicaid expansion, Haley may have just sentenced some of those desperately needing the coverage to death.This is not hyperbole. A gentleman very close to me with a severe heart condition would have died from uncontrolled ventricular fibrillation had he not received the implants of a pacemaker and a device called an implantable cardioverter defibrillator. Doctors had refused to perform the surgery without Medicaid. The state of his residence finally approved his participation as he lay near death in a hospital ICU.Such close calls are apparently fine with Haley and her posse of right-wing governors Rick Scott, Bobby Jindal, Rick Perry and Scott Walker, all of whom are on record as rejecting the expansion option. Republican governors from Iowa, Oklahoma and South Dakota have also jumped on the cold-blooded bandwagon.It’s not the money. The federal government picks up the entire state Medicaid expansion tab for newcomers to the program in the years 2014-2016. Federal funding is then reduced incrementally, but Uncle Sam still antes up 90 percent of the tab come 2020 and thereafter.Those hospital entities most impacted by the expansion are enthusiastic boosters. And why not? By collecting additional Medicaid money from increasing numbers of recipients, hospitals provide more compensated care; ergo, more money, fewer freebies. With that money, additional nurses can be hired and the latest lifesaving technology can find its way into care centers.The American Heart Association, Columbia Urban League, AARP SC, March of Dimes, S.C. Cancer Alliance and United Way of South Carolina are ardent supporters. These organizations have studied the numbers and ACA benefits and back the expansion.Dennis ShreeferRoebuck

As soon as the leaves fall, some property owners begin mutilating their crape myrtle trees. Southern Living Magazine calls it “crape murder.”These hardy small-growing trees require little maintenance. Yes, suckers at the base and on the trunk should be removed (breaking them flush at the trunk is really better than cutting them off), and removal of dead and badly crossing limbs and possibly a little shaping might be done. Additional pruning is “busy work” — and may be damaging work.Topping or cutting large limbs results in permanent ugliness and growth of multiple suckers in the spring (a “pompom” effect that is very unnatural and unattractive). Possible enhanced summer blooming is not worth the year-round ugliness.The Men’s Garden Club’s six-page color brochure on crape myrtle maintenance and selection is available at this website: www.dirtdaubers.org/Shared/PDF/GardeningHelp/CrapeMyrtle.pdf. There are crape myrtle varieties available that mature at from 3-4 feet to 25-30 feet tall. Plan ahead!Regardless of what your neighbor or the business down the street does, don’t pay someone to devalue your property.Henry PittmanSpartanburg

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